Cancer Care News

Greenwich Hospital Joins National Clinical Research Group
Greenwich Hospital has joined the national clinical research group Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) through its affiliation with the Yale Cancer Center, paving the way for additional clinical trials for patients who seek care at the hospital.

"By joining the national cooperative, Greenwich Hospital can now offer more phase II and phase III clinical trials to patients who qualify," says Dickerman Hollister, Jr., MD, medical director of the Bendheim Cancer Center. "This designation enables the hospital to expand the range of national clinical trials available to patients."

Greenwich Hospital currently offers clinical trials in breast and lung cancers, solid tumors/lymphoma and cancer of the rectum. Clinical trials focus on the latest treatment protocols and medications.

The CALGB is a national clinical research group sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. The group brings together clinical oncologists and laboratory investigators nationwide to develop better treatments for cancer.

For more information about clinical trials at Greenwich Hospital, contact Diane Perry, RN, study coordinator at (203) 863-3698.

Greenwich Hospital Ushers New Era with Robotic Surgery
Greenwich Hospital has become the first medical facility in Fairfield County to offer patients state-of-the-art robotic surgery.

The $1.7 million da Vinci surgical system has four arms that are inserted into the body through half-inch incisions. One arm has a miniature camera which projects pictures of the surgical area onto a monitor for surgeons to view in the operating room. Two other arms serve as the surgeons hands, while another arm moves obstructions, such as tissue, out of the way.

Surgeons operate the robot from a console using a three-dimensional viewfinder. The robotic arms inside the patient’s body mimic the cutting and suturing movements of the surgeon. Numerous procedures that could not be performed using traditional minimally invasive surgical techniques can now be done with robotic technology.

Robotic surgery offers patients the same benefits as other minimally invasive surgical techniques – smaller incisions and reduced muscle trauma, less pain, shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries. Robotic technology is well suited for performing surgery in confined places, although operations with the robot may take a bit longer.

Greenwich Hospital initially plans to use robotic surgery to treat prostate cancer and urological conditions, and then move into other areas, such as gynecological and general surgery.

Inpatient Oncology Unit Focuses on Patient & Family Needs
A diagnosis of cancer dramatically impacts patients as well as their circle of family and friends. That's why the new family-centered inpatient oncology unit in the Olive and Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Pavilion was designed to include special features that meet the medical and emotional needs of patients and their loved ones.

"We want to make the hospital experience as comfortable as possible for patients, family members and other caregivers," says Jodie Boldrighini, RN, nurse manger of the hospital's inpatient unit.

The 24-bed unit includes 16 private and 4 semi-private patient rooms. An expanded family care area includes a spacious lounge, kitchenette and bathroom. The lounge -which can be divided to accommodate family members who wish to stay the night - includes sofa beds, computers, televisions, and VCRs.

Greenwich Hospital's certified oncology nurses are specially trained to care for cancer patients and their families. The hospital provides a seamless continuum of oncology care for patients who require home hospice care. Palliative care services are also available at the hospital from a team that includes a board-certified medical pain physician, spiritual care professionals and an oncology counselor.